How to Handle Wire Tapping of you phone.

I read the following from Fausta's Blog this morning and it reminded me of an old post I had written about the subject.

Here is Fautsa's post in its entirety.

At BBC Mundo, Venezuela: reforma permite “escuchas” (my translation: please link to this post and credit me if you use this)

The Venezuelan National Assembly has authorized the first stage for a legal reform expanding the authorities’ powers to capture and use private conversations in legal proceedings.

The changes to the Penal Organic Processing Code (Código Orgánico Procesal Penal) include a statute ordering telecommunication companies to create “24/7″ units to process and deliver the State Attorney any information the State Attorney requests, in real time if so requested.

The Public Ministry will be able to use these private conversations, “whether they are in an area, through the telephone, or any other means.”

The measure comes in the wake of Chavez’s announcement that Venezuela will have its own BlackBerry. As far as confidentiality in communications goes, the Blackberry affords the best of all the options available in the country, but not for long.

Before it becomes law, the measure must be approved by a second review in congress, after which Chavez would sign it and it would become law once it’s published in the official government gazette…all of which are controlled by Chavez.

In the meantime, Chavez’s war on independent media continues.

This is my post from May of 2008.

("This is a work of fiction - any resemblance to actual persons
living or dead is purely coincidental...maybe".)

After leaving the jungle, we were still under investigation by the authorities. Sometimes this involved having our phone tapped. We had been warned of this and sometimes, you could hear a machine click on and occasionally, even breathing and other background noises.

We had nothing to hide and did not discuss anything private over the phone, certainly not with our lawyer. Even so, it was very irritating.

So... we embraced the situation. If I ever had a toddler in the house I would let them speak, and babble and sing to their hearts content over the phone.

Or, read scripture passages for long stretches!

Give the official listening in the 'Plan of Salvation".

Speak in PIG LATIN!!! Oday ouyay eakspay igpay atinlay???

Our favorite, when calling one another, from the market or some such place, was to speak in Ye'kwana! This is best done in low, grave voices. Oh the evil codes they must have thought we had invented! They may have assumed we were discussing the evil empire and it's plans to dominate, but we were really just discussing what items we needed from the market. Hee, hee!!!

But the most important thing of all is to speak to the officer listening in. Say "Hello, how are you? Are you having a nice day?" If asking a question to the person with whom you are conversing, ask the official what he thinks, "SO, dear official of the day, should he bring home chicken or fish for dinner? We'll have plenty so you all can come by as well! "

And, be nice! You know, like before you hang up say ,"I am not expecting anymore phone calls this evening so why don't you just go ahead and rest now, or get a coffee".

And being a good Venezuelan family, we even ended with, "Bendición?" !